complete verse (Acts 21:39)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 21:39:

  • Uma: “Paulus answered: ‘I here am a Yahudi, from the town of Tarsus, a town with a big name in the land of Kilikia. Please give me chance to speak to that crowd there.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘I am not,’ Paul said. ‘I am a Yahudi. I was born there in Tarsus, in the land Kilikiya. I am a man from a prominent place. I ask of you, colonel, let me speak to these people.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Paul answered, ‘I am a Jew, a subject of a large city in the province of Silicia, because I was born in Tarsus. I beg you that you permit me to speak to the people.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘It was certainly not I,’ answered Pablo, ‘because as for me, I am a Jew from-Tarsus in the province Cilicia which is a famous (lit. being-newsed) city. There is also that which I would like to tell the people, if it-is-possible.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “‘Respects to you,’ said Pablo, ‘far from me is what you refer to for I am a Jew, a taga Tarso which is in the district of Cilicia. That place of mine is indeed a famous city. If possible/acceptable to you hopefully, I want to speak to this crowd.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

formal 2nd person pronoun (Spanish)

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Spanish uses a formal vs. informal second-person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Spanish Bibles all use only the informal second-person pronoun (), with the exception of Dios Habla Hoy (DHH) (third edition: 1996) which also uses the formal pronoun (usted). In the referenced verses, the formal form is used.

Sources and for more information: P. Ellingworth in The Bible Translator 2002, p. 143ff. and R. Ross in The Bible Translator 1993, p. 217ff.

See also the use of the formal vs. the informal pronoun in the Gospels in Tuvan.